Sound producing doll



Sept- 29, 1953 H. WOLFE I 2,653,412 I SOUND PRODUCING DOLL Filed July so, 1949 2 Shets-Sheet 1 R l I 26 L J 24 a a 22 48 L2 c 46 c f I I F "3.3 INVENTOR.

HOWARD WOLFE Sept. 29, 1953 H. WOLFE SOUND PRODUCING DOLL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 30, 1949 INVNTOR. HOWARD WOLFE hlllilll Patented Sept. 29, 195:;

Howard :Wolf e', fiarrihgton Park;

to Voices; Ind, Bayonne; N. L;

of Delaware" I, assigiior a" corporation Application as so, 1949; semi N6. insists This mvenuofi relates to stuha pr aucingwvs.

especially dolls, and mo e particularly to ciate mama or papa;'and small'phonogr'aphs.

Various means have been used to conduct the sound to the outside air. 'Oneis to form an'ofp'ening in the back of the doll adjacent the sound producing-device. Another lis-to provideoperiing's at the mouth and'e'ar's of the doll head. In the latter case attempts have beenrnadeto'ifiiprove the sound intensity by. providing? tubes which run from the sound producingdevicetosuch opem ings. However, the use of these tubes affords little improvement; complicates the pro'ce'ss of manufacture, and considerably increases" its cost; Most recently a dolls head has beehfornie'd with a series of passages or'channelso'n the'inside surface of' the neck" opening to co'nductthe sound downward around the outside of the peek, This combines a large area of sound passage'with a desired unobtrusiveness, and 'do'esnot' detract from the life-like appearance ofthe doll, and' has therefore proved successful. However, I have .found that the'hollow dolls head, instead'oi" amplifying the sound; absorbs and muflies the sound to a considerable degree, with-a substantial loss of'v'olume by the timethe sound reaches the out side air. p

By means of'my invention, soundlproduce'd Within the doll body is conducted to the Outside air through a comparatively short and direct path, with a maximum of volume; Thisis ac; complished by providing a" plate forreflecting the sound Within the dollshea'd 'i'ri the'injimediate' vicinity of the neck, and conducting the" sound so reflected to the outside air through'theia'fore lsaid passages or channelsa'roun'd'the neck'." The reflector plate itself may be's ha'ped' td' rovide the sound conducting channels; Thejnatural, life-like appearance'of the doll is mainteined; the necessity formutilating the'body oi'the'doll is obviated, and the sound produced within the (1011's body is heardwi'th maximum intensity:

Considered in terms of objects," theiprifiiary object of the "invention is to generally improve sound producing'toys. A more specific object'is to discharge at maximum volume the sound pro; duced within a toy or doll; Still another object is to provide a sound producing doll with means to conduct the sound from within the bodyat maximum intensity without impairing'=" the ap-" pearance ofthe' doll, A further object is to provide; by simple inexpensive means, a short direct path for conducting the sound produced within the dolls'jb dy to the outside air where it can be heardwith-m'aximum audibility.

To accomplish the foregoing general objects, and other more specific objects which will hereinaft'er appear, my invention resides in the doll body, head; sound producing means, and sound conducting'me'ans', and their relation one to anothenas arehereiriafter more particularly describedin the following specification. The specification is accompanied y'crawmgs, in which:

Fig; 1 is a partiallyjse ctioned side'elevation of a doll embodying features of'my invention;

7 Fig. 2, shows the relation of the parts when the doll is queezed to I produce sound;

fig. 3 is a bottorn',.plan'view off'the dolls head, with somejof the parts in section taken approximately'along'thelinet t of Fig; 1;

Big. 4- is an enlarged section taken in elevation through the sound producing device of Fig; 2;

liigi; sas-aper pecuv'e view of a reflecting plate whichconstitutesja main partof the invention; F lgi fi isja irforit elevation, partly in section, showingho'w thesound reflector'is mounted within'a dolls'headj and Rig isa section illustr'ating'how the inventioh may beap'plied to a doll having a difierent ped-soun nr du vi aer r'r f-{tof the rawings; the toy' is ordi narily and pref erablyja doll, having a body B. limlos A, and'ja" head Asoundproducing device Sipf :suitable'type' is disposed within the bodyB The soundproducihg device S may be a c'rie'r, an articulativevoice? which enunciates maniaflor fpapa? or a"sfn'a11 phonograph; It siheie illustrated V as an articulativ'e voice.

The sound is discharged through passages of channels C and in accordance with the present invention, the head Hisiprovided with a reflector R; which reflects "and'g'uides' the" sound down warddirectly" through the channels C. The mariners may-be termed n the reflector itself, aild fpii ff that oseth'e peripheral portion of the fr 1 "cured"atits foutsidetb 'theneck open ng of t he "head, and is'dimensioned at its insideito fit' thefneckyput the ins'ide is formed w ththechanfielsfcl V Asisbestfshown inFig. 3; the channels may occupy inost of the I periphery Q? th m ck; hus PTOViding a'very large though inconspicuous sound-discharge area.

thepreferred term shown in the drawin the peripheral-portion attire-reflector" bears up'-' In Figs. 1 through 6 the invention is shown applied to a doll of the type described in greater detail in a copending application of John H. Wilhelm, Serial No. 55,886, filed October 22, 1948,

and assigned to the assignee of the'present application. The sound producing device responds to a flow of air caused by compression or squeez-.

ing of a portion of the doll body, as shown in Fig.

2. Fig. '7 shows the invention appliedto a doll voice which is gravity operated.

Considering the squeeze voice in detail, and referring first to Fig. 4 of the drawing, the sound producing device S comprises a casing l2 having an air input end [4 and a sound discharge end Hi. There is a lightweight piston or cap [8 slidable in the casing, and a sound producing means, usually a reed unit 20, which is actuated by air forced therethrough on movement of the cap l8 within the casing. The arrangement is such that air pressure, produced by squeezing the doll, when applied through the apertured input end 44 of the casing, moves the cap I8 and produces sound. The cap [8 is sealed to the casing by means of a thin flexible bellows 22 which extends from the cap to the sound discharge end of the casing.

In the present case the skin 24 of the doll body is air tight, and is made of latex. It is stuffed as indicated at 26 in Figs. 1 and 2, the stuffing being granules or pellets of foam rubber. Fibrous stuffing may be used, such as cotton, kapok, or hair, but must be loose enough for good air displacement. There is no danger of the stufiing reaching the reed unit, because the slidable cap separates the doll body from the reed unit, and if the end [4 has large apertures a porous fabric is preferably cemented over the end, as indicated at 28 (Fig. 4). This freely passes the air, but holds back the stuffing.

The main advantage of the slidable cap I8 is that its motion may be employed to operate valve mechanism for articulating the sound produced by the reed unit. The valve mechanism comprises a stationary member 29 providing a valve ring 30 and a movable member 32 slidably related thereto, with appropriate ports 34 and 36 to alternately constrict and free the passage of sound, said movable member 32 being connected to and moved by the cap l8. Such a valve arrangement may be used to articulate the word mama.

The reed unit 26 is carried by a wall 40 which extends across and. seals the casing within the sound discharge end thereof. The top wall or end [6 of the casing is spaced outwardly from the wall 40, providing a space therebetween which receives the unmodulated sound. The top wall 29 is imperforate, except for the valve ring 39, hence the only sound discharged through the top wall is the modulated sound. To prevent the ports 34 and 36 of the valve tube from releasing air from the bellows, the wall 40 carries a stationary sleeve 42 in which the valve tube is slidable. Inasmuch as the sleeve 42 is longer than the longer port 36, the sleeve closes the 4 ports at the Wall 40, and they function solely at the valve ring 30.

To mount the voice in the doll, the top I6 is provided with a connector, here shown as a bentv wire yoke 44, preferably made small enough to pass through the neck opening of the doll body. The body may be sealed to the voice. When dealing with a thin skinned doll body as here shown, a neck shaping ring 46 is preferably provided. This may be turned out of wood, or molded out of plastic. It is shaped on the outside to act as the neck portion of the doll body, and may conform to a' portion of a sphere. It is suitably stepped at the bottom to receive the top end of the voice, and may be made, sold, and shipped as a part of the voice. The skin 24 of the doll is foldedinwardly and downwardly around the ring 46,'as is indicated at 48, and is there sealed in position, as by means of a frusto-conical or tapered ring 50 which is passed downwardly around the yoke 44 and then driven into position. No such ring would be necessary when dealing with an unstuffed or hollow doll having a thick rubber wall.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 6 the head H has a conventional crossbar 52 with a heavy elastic or rubber band 54 thereover, the latter being pulled downwardly and looped into a hook 56. Thus the head is held downwardly on the body in somewhat conventional fashion, and the pull of the elastic band 54 serves also to pull the voice .3 upward and to hold the same in desired position. The yoke 44 is so shaped as to provide adequate clearance for upward movement of the valve tube 32, the latter being shown in raised position within the yoke in Figs. 2 and 4. The shaping ring 46 and clamping ring 48 are merely one way to eifectuate a connection between the neck portion of the doll body, and the casing of the sound producing device. With a thick molded hollow rubber doll body, the sealing action between the body and the voice may be made quite different, and may rely on the circumferential elasticity of the neck portion of the body, the latter being stretched to receive or pass the voice.

Therefiector R is best shown in Figs. 5 and 6. I comprises a generally convex shell or dome 6G with an outwardly flared peripheral portion 62. This is preferably flanged or stepped as indicated in Fig. 6 so that downward pressure on the head tends to hold the head and the reflector in assembled relation. The inside surface 84 of the peripheral portion is curved to conform to the neck 65 of the body, thereby affording the usual universal angular adjustment of the head relative to the body. However, the inside portion is large- 1y cut away to form wide channels clearly shown atC in Figs. 3 and 5, leaving in this case only the three raised portions 68 which bear against the neck of thedoll body. The resulting sound discharge passage is very large in cross-sectional area, it extending substantially entirely around the periphery of the neck, yet because of the configuration of the usual doll which simulates a baby with its undeveloped neck, the sound discharge passage is inconspicuous and unnoticeable unless looked for.

The reflector may be molded out of a suitable moldable plastic, or it may be die cast out of a lightweight metal, or it may even be stamped or drawn out of sheet metal. In the latter case the projections $8 which leave the sound discharge channels therebetween around the neck, may be.

formed by indentingthe sheet metal inward.

However, it will be understood that it i not essential to form the channels in the reflector itself. The channels may be-formed in the neck opening of the head, and thereflector may be located immediately above the same. In such case it is somewhat more difficult to insert and secure the reflector in position in the head. In the illustrated preferred form of the invention the neck opening of the head is enlarged somewhat, and the reflector is extended downward to the outside of the neck opening, andtherefore the body of the reflector may be inserted upwardly through the neck opening. It then becomes convenient and preferable to form channels in the reflector. This has the added benefit of guiding the sound most efficiently and smoothly to the channels. In effect, the peripheralportion of the reflector acts as theneck opening of the head, and in'that sense, the channelsarein the neck opening. The maximum height of the reflector should not interfere with the swinging-of theweight of'the movable doll eyes.- This weight is not shown in the drawings but is conventional. The minimum height of the reflector should clear the hook and yoke, which in turn clearsthe valve in uppermost position. There shouldbe adequate sound passage area leading to the channels.

It will be observed that with my invention the pull of the elastic band 54 which holds the head snugly and fn'ctionally against the neck (56 of the body serves also to hold the reflector in properly assembled relation, for the head bears downwardly against the peripheral flange 62 of the reflector, and the reflector inturn bears against the neck 66 ofthe doll body. This would be true with the link or hook L connected to the doll body in any desired fashion, but in the present case where it is connected to the voice, it serves the additional function of holding the voice upwardly in proper position at the neck.

It will be appreciated that the total area of the resulting sound passages extending entirely around the neck opening is far greater than any openings which might be obtained at the mouth or ears. These large passages combined with the reflector which guides the sound closely and-directly to the passages provides for free egress of sound and consequent loud volume.

ihe modification shown inFig. 7 is generally similar to that already described, except that the voice is a gravity operated voice instead of a squeezevoice. The particular articulative voice shown is not in itself novel, it being described. and claimed in U. S. Patent 2,299,023, issued October 13, 1942, to the assignee ofjthe present application. It is therefore believed unnecessary to describe the voice in detail; For the present purpose it has been slightly modifiedby stepping the top wall ill to be received'within the neck shaping piece l2. Thetop wallreceives the legs of a yoke M corresponding to the yoke 44' previously mentioned. The reflector R. is substantially the same as previously described, and is similarly related to the head 'of the doll. It has a similar central hole atlfi to receive the hook or link L.

It will be understood that'the sound producing device employed may be a crier instead of an articulative voice. A- crier is simpler in construction because it requires no valve mechanism. The sound producing-device may be more complex, as in the case of a miniature doll phonograph, one example being that shown in Grubman Patent 1,970,452 issued August 14, 1 934,,to the assignee of the present case. Any other doll phonographor other kind of sound producingdeviceof suitable dimension: and adapted to dis-- chargeits sound through the hollow neck portionof a toy body may beused.

It is believed that the construction, the method of assembly, and" the operation of my improved sound producing toy, as well as the advantages thereof, will beapparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in several preferred forms, changesmay be made in the structure shown without departing from the scope of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1,. A toy comprising a body having a neck por-- tion, a head having a neck opening conforming to the neck portion, a sound producing device disposed in the-body near the neck portion and arranged to discharge sound through the-neck portion, the opening of the head being provided with channels for sound discharge, and a reflector plate disposed in the head over the neck portion to reflect the sound discharged from the sound producing device, and to guide the same through the aforesaid channels.

2.- A doll comprising a doll-body having a neck portion conforming to a part of the surface of a sphere, a head having a neck opening conforming to the neck portion, a sound producing device disposed in the body of the-doll beneath the neck portion and arranged to discharge sound upwardly through the neck portion, the opening of the head being provided with channels for sound discharge, andan upwardly convex reflector plate disposed in the head' over the neck portion to reflect the sound dischargedupwardlyfrom the sound producing device, and to guide the same downward through the aforesaid channels.

3. A toy comprising a body having a neck, a head having a neck opening,,a reflector'plate having a peripheral portion secured at its outside to the opening of the head and dimensioned at its inside to fit the neck, the inside being pro-. vided with channels for sound discharge, a sound producing device disposed in the body near the neck and arranged to discharge sound through the neck, said reflector plate serving to reflect and guide the sound reversely through the aforesaid channels around the outside of the neck.

4. A doll comprisinga doll body having a neck, a head having a neck opening, an upwardly convex reflector plate having a. peripheral portion secured at its outside to the opening of the head, and dimensioned at its inside to fit the neck of the doll, the said inside being provided with channels for sound discharge, a sound producingdimensioned at itsinside to. flt the neck, the,

said inside. being provided. with channels for sound discharge, a soundlproducing device, dis? posed in the body at the neck andarrangedto discharge sound through theneck, said reflector; plate serving to reflect and guide the sound. re-v versely, through theiaforesaid. channels around the outside of the neck, said reflector plate hav ing a small central opening, and resilient link means passing through said opening and connecting the head to the body, whereby said body, reflector plate and head are all resiliently held in assembled relation.

6. A doll comprising a doll body having a neck, a head having a neck opening, a reflector plate having a peripheral portion secured at its outside to the neck opening of the head, and dimensioned at its inside to fit the neck of the doll, the said inside being provided with channels for sound discharge, a sound producing device disposed in the body of the doll beneath the neck and arranged to discharge sound upwardly through the neck, said reflector plate servin to reflect and guide the sound downwardly through the aforesaid channels around the outside of the neck, said reflector plate having a small central opening, a hook passing through said opening, means connecting the lower end of the hook to the doll body, and means including a heavy elastic band connecting the upper end of the hook to the head, whereby said body and head are resiliently held in assembled relation.

7 A doll comprising a doll body having a neck conforming to a part of a sphere, a head having a neck opening, an upwardly convex reflector plate having a peripheral portion bearing at its outside upwardly against the neck opening of the head, and dimensioned at its inside to flt the neck of the doll, the said inside being provided with channels for sound discharge, a sound producing device disposed in the body of the doll beneath the neck and arranged to discharge sound upwardly through the neck, said reflector plate :serving to reflect and guide the sound down- "wardly through the aforesaid channels around the outside of the neck, said reflector plate having :a small central opening, a hook passing through said opening, means connecting the lower end of the hook to the sound producing device within the doll body, and means including a heavy elastic band connecting the upper end of the hook to the head, whereby said body, reflector plate and head are all resiliently held in assembled relation.

8. A doll comprising a body, a neck, and a hollow head, said doll having sound passages leading downwardly from the head around the out- .side of the neck, a sound producing device located in the body near the neck for discharging sound upwardly through the neck toward the head, and a reflector or bafiie disposed in the head immediately over the neck to guide the sound downwardly directly to the passages and to thus prevent the sound from becoming muffled in the hollow head.

9. A doll comprising a body, a neck and a hollow 'head having a neck opening surrounding the :neck, said doll having sound passages leading downwardly from the head around the outside of the neck, a sound producing device located in the body near the neck for discharging sound upwardly through the neck toward the head, and a reflector or baiile disposed in the head immediately over the neck to guide the sound downwardly directly to the passages and to thus prevent the sound from becoming muffled in the hollow head, said bafile extending downward and outward through the neck opening.

10. A doll comprising a body, a neck, and a hollow head having a neck opening surrounding the neck, said doll having sound passages leading from the head around the outside of the neck, a sound producing device located in the body near the neck for discharging sound upwardly toward the head, and a reflector or baflie disposed in the head immediately over the neck to guide the sound directly to the passages and to thus prevent the sound from becoming mufliled in the hollow head, said baffle extending downward to surround the neck, and having the aforesaid sound passages formed therein.

11. A doll comprising a body and a head having neck regions with a sound passage therethrough, means connecting said body and head at said neck regions, a sound producing device located within said body and communicating with said sound passage, a plate for reflecting the sound produced by said sound producing device, said plate being located within the head over the neck region thereof, and means for laterally spacing said head from said body at said neck regions, said spacing means forming channels therebetween for conducting the sound reflected by the plate to the outside air.

12. A doll comprising a body and a hollow head, means connecting said body and head, a sound producing device located within said body, a plate for reflecting a sound produced by said sound producing device, said plate being located within the head over the neck area thereof blocking the passage of sound into the head, a small aperture in said plate to permit said body and head connecting means to pass therethrough, and means at the neck area for spacing said head from said body, said spacing means providing channels therebetween for conducting the sound to the outside air.

13. A doll comprising a body and a hollow head, means connecting said body and said head, a sound producing device located within said body, and a unitary plate located Within said head over the neck area thereof blocking the passage of sound into the head, said plate being formed to reflect the sound produced by said sound producing device, to space said body from said head, and to provide channels for conducting the sound to the outside air.

14. A doll comprising a body and a hollow head, means connecting said body and said head, a sound producing device located Within said body, a unitary plate located Within said head over the neck area thereof blocking the passage of sound into the head, said plate being formed to reflect the sound produced by said sound producing device, to space said body from said head, and to provide channels for conducting the sound to the outside air, said plate having a small aperture, said body and head connecting means passing through said aperture, and said connecting means also maintaining said plate in position.

15. A toy comprising a compressible body having a neck portion, a head having a neck opening conforming to the neck portion, a sound producing device disposed in the body near the neck portion and arranged to discharge sound through the neck portion, the opening of the head being provided with channels for sound discharge, said sound producing device comprising a casing having an input end and a sound discharge end both open for the passage of air, a light weight cap slidable in said casing, a sound producing means actuated by air forced therethrough by movement of the cap from the input end toward the sound discharge end, the arrangement being such that a relatively light air pressure such as that produced by squeezing the compressible body moves the cap and produces sound, and a re- 11601101 plate d sposed in the head over the neck 0 lect the. sound discharged from the sound 9 producing device, and to guide the same through the aforesaid channels.

16. A doll comprising a compressible, imperforate body having a neck portion conforming to a part of the surface of a sphere, a head having a neck opening conforming to the neck portion, a sound producing device disposed in the body of the doll beneath the neck portion and arranged to discharge the sound upwardly through the neck portion, the opening of the head being provided with channels for sound discharge, said sound producing device comprising a casing having an input end and a sound discharge end both open for the passage of air, a light Weight cap slidable in said casing, a sound producing means actuated by air forced therethrough by movement of the cap from the input end toward the sound discharge end, the arrangement being such that a relatively light air pressure such as that produced by squeezing the compressible body moves the cap and produces sound, and an upwardly convex reflector plate disposed in the head over the neck to reflect the sound discharged upwardly from the sound producing device, and to guide the same downward through the aforesaid channels.

17. A doll comprising a compressible, imperforate body having a neck conforming to a part of a sphere, a head having a neck opening, an upwardly convex reflector plate having a peripheral portion secured at its outside to the opening of the head, and dimensioned at its inside to fit the neck of the doll, said inside being provided with channels for sound discharge, and a sound producing device disposed in the body of the doll beneath the neck and arranged to discharge sound upwardly through the neck, said sound producing device comprising a casing having an input end and a sound discharge end both open for the passage of air, a light weight cap slidable in said casing, a sound producing means actuated by air forced therethrough by movement of the cap from the input end toward the sound discharge end, the arrangement being such that a relatively light air pressure such as that produced by squeezing the compressible body moves the cap and produces sound, said reflector plate serving to reflect and guide the sound downwardly through the aforesaid channels around the outside of the neck.

18. A doll comprising a compressible, imperforate body and a hollow head, means connecting said body and said head, a sound producing device located within said body, said sound producing device comprising a casing having an input end and a sound discharge end both open for the passage of air, a light weight cap slidable in said casing, a sound producing means actuated by air forced therethrough by movement of the cap from the input end toward the sound discharge end, the arrangement being such that a relatively light air pressure such as that produced by squeezing the compressible body moves the cap and produces sound, a unitary plate located within said head over the neck area thereof, said plate being formed to block and to reflect the sound produced by said sound producing device, to space said body from said head, and to provide channels for conducting the sound to the outside air, said plate having a small aperture, said body and head connecting means passing through said aperture, and said connecting means also maintaining said plate in position.

HOWARD WOLFE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,730,854 Lloyd Oct. 8, 1929 1,998,082 Grubman Apr. 16, 1935 2,212,623 Strauss Aug. 27, 1940 2,470,384 Waldron May 1'7, 1949 

